Logik LBFANX12 electric oven not heating up

Got a Logik LBFANX12 electric oven that's not heating up? We did. One minute it was working fine, next minute we could hear the fan but the light didn't work and non of the heat settings would create any heat.

Not much good an oven that doesn't get hot.

In fact that last time it was working the temperature light was flickering. Oven's probably shouldn't do that.

The surprising thing is our Logik LBFANX12 was only 18 months old. Admittedly it was the cheapest in the store at about £120 but surely it should last longer?

As the fan was working I knew it couldn't be a fuse so after unplugging it and making sure it was safe popped off the top to take a peek.

Straight away I saw this floating around. Surely that should be connected or inside something?

Looks like a switch part, so took a closer look at the main function selector switch. This is the switch that switches the various elements and fans on and off. That last connector looks a bit suspect...

The last connector turned out to be the main link to the heating elements, and it was completed toasted.

Luckily after a quick scan of the internet I found a replacement and 2 days later it was all fixed but I'm not sure how long it will last. After all this simple mechanical switch is going to be carrying a massive amount of current when switched on. Each time it switches tiny arcs will occur at the contacts, and this arcing will oxidise and fatigue the metal. Might be wiser to get an electric oven with electronic switching next time. Electronic switching means no moving parts and they can use tricks like soft starting to provide switching that will last far longer.